In today's global economy, companies often need to integrate applications, systems, and technologies from a variety of sources. Typically, these companies create systems for the computer-to-computer exchange of structured information, by agreed upon message standards, from one computer application to another by electronic means and with a minimum of human intervention. Examples of message standards include Health Level Seven (HL7) for health care related clinical and administrative data; GS 1 System for identification and communication of information regarding products, assets, services and locations; SWIFT for financial data; and EDI for the exchange of structured information by agreed message standards for the transfer of a variety of business transaction data.
As shown in FIG. 1, a business enterprise may communicate with a variety of partners in a variety of message formats. For example, the business may communicate with a customer in XML format; the business may communicate with a supplier application in EDI or Flat File message format; the business may communicate with a financial application in SWIFT message format; and the business may communicate with a logistics application in some other industry standard message format.
Unfortunately, the variety and number of messages complicates communication and creates inefficiencies in the typical business enterprise. Although solutions for aggregating messages may be written in custom software code, such solutions increase complexity and cost in an enterprise and are only suitable for particular circumstances.